1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reproduction apparatus, and more particularly to a technology suitably used to perform a search reproduction of a plurality of moving images having different frame rates in succession.
2. Description of the Related Art
Video cameras for capturing and recording a moving image on a recording medium have been known heretofore. Apparatuses that can record moving images with different frame rates (the numbers of frames per unit time) have also been discussed in recent years (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-125210). Moving images captured at different frame rates can be reproduced at a fixed frame rate to provide a slow motion effect and/or a fast motion effect.
For example, if a moving image captured at a frame rate of 120 frames per second (fps) is reproduced at 60 fps, the display interval of frames becomes longer than when captured. Such reproduction provides a slow motion effect of half speed. A moving image captured at 30 fps can be reproduced at 60 fps to provide a double-speed fast motion effect.
A moving image recorded at a high frame rate can be reproduced in real time by displaying the moving image at the same frame rate as when recorded, or by thinning out the frames of the reproduced moving image and displaying the resultant at a low frame rate.
For example, if a moving image captured at a frame rate of 120 fps is reproduced and displayed at a frame rate of 120 fps, the timing of the displayed frames coincides with the display timing during image capturing. If a moving image captured at a frame rate of 120 fps is reproduced and every other frame is thinned out before the resultant is displayed at a frame rate of 60 fps, the timing of the displayed frames coincides with the display timing during image capturing.
As mentioned above, a moving image captured and recorded at a high frame rate can be reproduced at a normal frame rate (60 fps) to provide a slow effect. Fast-forward reproduction of a moving image having a high frame rate, however, results in lower reproduction speed (update period of the displayed screen) than with a moving image having a normal frame rate.
Consequently, there has been a problem of poor usability to a user who wishes to quickly find a desired screen by fast-forward reproduction.